Truths of the Heart
by maboroshi
Summary: [Infinite Ryvius] [Check out the NOTE] Four years since the Ryvius incident finds Juli Bahana in a difficult situation in life. When she runs into a figure of the past, things get a whole lot more complicated. A JxB fic!
1. Destined Meeting

Truths of the Heart

Disclaimer: I don't own Infinite Ryvius or any of the characters except for the ones I have created meself!

My first fic for a while and I'm darn glad it's an Infinite Ryvius one because I haven't seen many Ryvius fics around at all. This is a Juli x Blue fic because I think they're the most interesting pair in the anime. I was so happy to find another JxB fic by Black Rose on the same page. Shows that there ARE JxB fans around!

Anyway please DO review as to give me some idea of how many people are actually reading the fic and hope you enjoy it!

And if you haven't seen the anime yet, do, because it's one of the better ones out there!

(A little warning: There's very, very mild language)

Chapter 1: Destined Meeting

"And I suppose you will like a share in the profits as well."

"Yes, we will take seventy percent of the profits that your company make from here on in."

The man at the head of the table laughed. "Seventy percent!" He blanched when unmoving blue eyes looked back at him. "B-but that's criminal!"

"Luther-san, let me remind you that you are in no position to negotiate. It is no secret that without our financial support, your company will fold and you yourself will be declared bankrupt. I very much doubt that you will receive a better offer than this."

Luther glared at the expressionless woman sitting at the other end of the table, his eyebrow twitching. "Fine," he said finally, between clenched teeth. "I will agree to those terms."

Minutes later, a brown-haired woman emerged from the building, a small entourage trailing behind her.

"I'll send for the car, Bahana-san," Jun, the dark burly man behind her said before barking orders into his cell phone.

Juli Bahana looked up at the tall building she had been in moments earlier. There was no doubt that it was impressive, looming several hundred floors above the ground. Its smooth, windowless exterior reflected the latest architectural style, which was designed to keep unwanted intruders out.

But its dull, metallic surface also gave Juli the chills. It was cold, lifeless, like all the other buildings in her world. The magnificent interiors with their expensive blood-red carpets and polished chocolate-brown tables only emphasised their superficiality.

"Bahana-san, the car has arrived."

On the ride back, Juli didn't say much as the two older representatives her mother had sent with her to the meeting began to discuss about business matters.

"You did very well, Bahana-san," Gretel, the neat blond woman said.

Sitting next to her was Kaisho, who had been part of the Bahana business scene for a long time. "Yes, I'm sure your mother will very be pleased."

"We're here Bahana-san."

The tall silver gates in front of the vehicle opened to a long driveway amidst a vast field of green that stretched the length of golf fields. The drive up was long and slow and it was several minutes before they reached the building.

Jun exited the car first, excusing himself to oversee ground security. Juli said her farewells to the two advisers and entered the mansion. Maids greeted her at the door, ushering her into the marble-floored hall and taking her coat.

"Shin-san asked what you would like for dinner, mistress," a young, pretty maid asked.

"I won't be having dinner, Yuki. I'm not really hungry." Juli said as she climbed up the winding stairs towards the bedrooms. "I'll be retiring now. Please don't disturb me for the rest of the night."

"Yes mistress."

Juli made her away along the many corridors to her bedroom. Once inside, she dropped her handbag on the floor and dropped on the ocean-blue sheeted double bed. She could still hear the whispers as she had walked from the meeting room towards the elevator.

_"That's Juli Bahana. She's the daughter of Hisai Bahana, the head of Bahana Corporations, isn't she?"_

_"Really?__ She looks pretty young."_

_"Apparently she's only twenty. I heard that she's as bad as her mother."_

_"Yeah, they're bullies, aren't they, the Bahana Corporations. I guess she's no different."_

Juli rolled on to her side. _When… when did I become like this?_ She closed her eyes, and the thought echoed in her mind as she fell asleep.

When Juli entered the large dining room, her mother and brother were already finishing breakfast. Hisai Bahana looked at her daughter disapprovingly as she took a sip of tea. "A Bahana lady does not sleep in, Juli," she said.

"I'm sorry." Juli slipped into her seat at the table and gave Ryu a small smile when he glanced at her sympathetically.

"I heard from Gretel and Kaisho-san that the meeting with Jinpei Industries went very well yesterday."

"Yes, mother, that's right."

Hisai delicately wiped her mouth with the corner of the snow-white napkin and stood up abruptly. "I'll be leaving for Jupiter now. Remember that Nishikawa-san will be over for dinner tomorrow. I expect you to act like a high-class lady of the Bahana family. I have debriefed Shin and Eiko on the ball next week, but I hope you oversee the preparations and make sure that everything is perfect before I get back. Is that clear, Juli?"

"Yes mother."

"I will call Eiko now and again to make sure that things are going as planned. Fiona, come." And without another word, the tall woman walked out of the room, the maid right behind her.

"Yeah, bye mother. Have a good trip," Ryu said, as the tension in the room dissipated.

"What, are you sulking again, little brother?" Juli said.

"U-huh. Another morning of being ignored. And you! 'Yes mother', 'that's right mother', you're as obedient as ever."

"Be quiet. You sound like a squeaky mouse toy, trying to imitate my voice."

Ryu grinned at her. "Well, I'm off to school, neesan. At least I won't have to see your scowling face for the rest of the day."

"Ditto," Juli shot back. She sighed when the teenager left and looked down at the half-eaten toast in front of her. "Yuki," she said to the maid standing beside the fireplace, "you can take this away now. I'm not hungry."

"But mistress, you didn't have dinner last night."

Juli forced a smile. "Oh, I'm alright. I've just lost my appetite for a while."

"Yes mistress," Yuki took her plate, choosing not to argue that she hadn't been eating well ever since her participation in the handling of Bahana Corporations. "And if you don't mind me asking, what will you be doing today?"

Juli sighed. "I suppose I will be discussing plans with Eiko-san about next week's Annual Companies Ball. Do you know where she is now, Yuki?"

"Oh, I'll send for her mistress."

"No, I'll go. Where is she?"

"Well… I think Eiko-san is in the kitchen at the moment."

Eiko was a maid who had been in the Bahana household for sixty years. She had brought up Juli and Ryu as well as Hisai when she was young. As a result, she was very much respected by the family, as well as by the others serving in the household.

"No! How many times do I have to tell you that that plate doesn't go there, girl!"

Juli stopped in the doorway to the kitchen as the old woman's angry voice floated out. She smiled, as she remembered how Eiko had scolded her as a child when she misbehaved. But she also remembered the feel of her gnarled, old hands on her forehead, soothing her to sleep.

"Eiko-san."

The old woman stopped prodding the young kitchen-hand with her cane and turned around. "Young mistress, what are you doing here?" she said.

"Well I was going to discuss planning next week with y–"

Eiko turned back to the young servant with a frown. "What are you still doing here? Scat!"

Juli smiled as she watched the boy practically run from the kitchen, a white apron still tied around his waist.

"Well, it's good to see the young mistress smile for once."

She turned back to Eiko, the smile vanishing. "Please don't say that. I do smile, you know."

"Mmm, yes. The mistress has left for Jupiter, has she not?"

"Yes. She just left."

"That means your business duties are on hold, does it not? Why not take this time to fool around?"

"Huh?"

"Fool around. Do what you young people usually do. When I was your age, I had a beau and we used to go out all the time."

Juli stared at the bent, wrinkled woman in front of her. "You had a beau, Eiko-san?"

Eiko prodded her with her cane, prompting a small cry from her. "Yes, I had a beau. Is that so surprising?"

"N-no, not at all," Juli quickly replied. "But the point is, I have to help you organise the ball for–"

"What?! You think that I can't handle that on my own?"

"No, that's not…"

"I'll have it all taken care of, so scat! Get out of my kitchen and get some sunlight, young mistress. Your face is as white as my hair."

Juli sighed as she climbed the stairs to her room. Eiko was right. She needed to go out and have fun. Since she had started working as the successor to Bahana Corporations, the only times she had gone out were for arranged lunch and dinner appointments or business meetings. She turned around and walked back down.

"Yuki, please send for the car."

"Um, Bahana-san, I don't think I could do that. I've already disobeyed orders by driving you to the lower sections of the city," Kobayashi said as he glanced at the woman through the rear-view mirror.

"It won't be a problem, Kobayashi-san. After all I'm in disguise. No one will recognise me walking down the street, I guarantee it," Juli said as she adjusted her sunglasses. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail instead of a tight bun and in place of the usual formal suit, she was wearing a pink blouse and three-quarter length pants.

Kobayashi had to admit that she looked like a normal young woman. "I suppose," he slowly conceded.

"Okay, just drop me here."

"But when should I pick you up?"

"I'll give you a call, Kobayashi-san." She winked at the worried chauffer. "Don't fret. I'll be fine."

Kobayashi was taken back by the excitement that shone on the young woman's face. He hadn't seen her so animated for a long time. 'Well if it makes the young mistress happy...' "Very well," he said. "I will be waiting for you here when you call, Juli-san."

Juli felt as though a weight had lifted off her shoulders as she stepped out of the black vehicle. She strolled down the bustling street, which was filled with young couples and families, not with men and women in business suits hurrying to work, like in the upper class echelons of the city.

_I'm not there anymore. I can relax at least for today._

And relax she did. She spent the entire morning entering gift stores and clothes shops and browsing through magazines. She bought takoyaki from a street stall and had lunch at a small coffee shop, slowly revelling the freedom she had been deprived of for so long.

_This is great,_ she thought as she stepped back out onto the street. _I haven't walked this way for ages. Not since…_

She stopped as a familiar building caught her eye. "Ginji's!" she exclaimed out loud, startling several passer-bys. A bell rang as she stepped through the game arcade's automatic doors and into a world filled with psychedelic colors and mechanical sounds.

"Hi," the teenager behind the counter said, "do you have your card with you?"

Juli took her identification card from her pocket and handed it to the boy.

"Number 300658499. Ah, yup you do have membership, but it expired… two years ago?!"

"Heh," Juli gave an embarrassed laugh, "I haven't been here for a while. Can you just credit my account?"

"Sure, I can do that. And for a cute girl like you I'll even give you a discount."

The people in the arcade were mostly teenage boys, but it didn't bother Juli. She made her way past the many games on offer to the only game on her mind at the moment.

"Geduld II?! Come on, going to space is **so** old now. Let's play something cooler like Spy Hunt or Jet Racer!" A brown-haired teenager complained as he tried to pull his spiky-haired friend from a game.

"Are you two still playing?" Juli asked.

The two boys turned around. "Huh?" The complaining teenager asked, "Why do you want to play Geduld II?"

Juli took off her sunglasses and put then in her pocket. "Because," she said with a smile that made the both of them blush, "it's fun." She took the visual simulation device from the spiky-haired boy's hands, placed it over her head and was immediately transported to the bridge of a ship.

"The _Sorakaze_," the game's narrative started, "an A-class ship in need of a good captain to navigate its way through the dangerous Geduld Sea. Will you stand up to the challenge?"

"Captain Juli B," she said to the virtual reality crew in front of her, "reporting for duty."

Juli completed dozens of missions before a judgmental error forced the game to end and she was brought back to reality.

"Whoa," she heard a voice she recognised to be the complaining teenager's say as she took off the simulation device, "she's really good."

"Yeah, she smashed the top score!"

Juli shook her head as her senses slowly adjusted to the real world. She was taken back when she saw a crowd of admiring faces staring at her. "W-what's the time?" she stammered.

"It's past eight, neechan."

"Eight?" she replied dazed. She'd forgotten that time was very easy to lose track of in virtual reality games. "I have to go." She pushed past the crowd and blinked at the flashing arcade lights that were now making her head spin.

She finally staggered out the door and into the cold night air that bit at her bare ankles and arms. Her head began to clear as she leaned against the wall. Five hours spent in a game? What was on earth was she thinking?

Juli trudged up the street, staring at her feet. "Stupid!" she muttered to herself. How could she let a virtual reality game stir up feelings of longing and comfort she had tried so hard to forget?

She was so caught up in her thoughts that by the time she realised that somebody was following her, it was too late. She was grabbed from behind and pulled into a dark alley, the attacker clamping a coarse hand over her mouth to keep her from screaming.

Juli kicked and bit the hand on her mouth only to receive a hard kick in her stomach that winded her. "No," she whispered as she stared up at the figures of two men.

"Bitch!" One of them spat at her as he nursed his hand. "You're going to pay for that!"

"Take it easy," the other said as he grinned. "We'll make her pay. Slowly."

Juli edged her way backwards, willing her legs to stand. She knew how to use self-defence, but the kick one of the men had given her earlier hurt her badly. 'Don't let it end like this,' she thought as she frantically searched for a weapon in the dark. 'Don't let it end like this!'

"Hey."

She froze. The two men whirled around towards the voice coming behind them.

"What do you want punk?" one of them asked. "There's nothing to see here."

"He… help," Juli croaked. "Help me."

"Shut up!" Another kick was aimed at her. "This is none of your business, pu–" The attacker was cut off as he was thrown backwards past Juli to land on the cold ground a few metres away.

"What the? You little…" Juli watched as the other man rushed forward only meet the fist of the intruder right in the face.

She pushed herself up, trying to make out the features of her saviour in the dark, but he turned around abruptly.

"Wait!" Juli stood slowly, supporting her weight on the brick wall of the alley. "I want to thank you."

"Don't be mistaken. They were in the way."

Time stopped for Juli as the man disappeared around the corner, his profile revealed briefly by street lights. Those words… that voice… and the glimpse of blue…

A newfound strength filled Juli as she ran out from the alleyway and into the street where the man had disappeared to seconds earlier. She looked up and down the street, hoping to catch a glimpse of him.

"Juli-san!"

She whirled around, only to find the anxious face of Kobayashi peering down at her.

"Juli-san?" the driver asked as he took in her dishevelled appearance. "Oh my god, did something happen to you?!"

"No, no," Juli slowly shook her head.

"Well, come on. Let's go home."

On the ride home, Kobayashi mumbled about how worried he had been and how she had neglected to call. Juli, however, wasn't listening. She was in a world of her own. And the only thought running through her mind was:

_Airs Blue._


	2. Memories and New Situations

Truths of the Heart

Thanks for your reviews, Eigwayne and lady-sess. I thought it'd be interesting with Juli being a little different and in a situation you wouldn't really have expected her to be in. As for Blue… well, you'll see. Btw, I forgot to mention earlier that this fic doesn't take into account what happened in the last ep.

Another minor note: in chapter one, I wrote that Juli has blue eyes. I think she actually has green eyes, so please excuse my mistake :). Will try to update as frequently as I can. Keep reading and hope you guys enjoy!

Chapter 2: Memories and New Situations

When Juli woke up, sunlight was pouring into her bedroom through the glass door that led to the balcony. She sat up, only to double over in pain. She lifted her shirt to find a large bruise imprinted on her midriff.

The memory of the night before came pouring back, of how she had spent the day like a normal young person, and how she had been attacked and…

_The glimpse of blue…_

Juli threw the covers off her bed and vaulted out. She hurriedly dressed in a black sweatshirt and jeans and practically ran down the stairs.

"Young mistress," Yuki said in surprise, "why are you in such a hurry?"

"Yuki," she said breathlessly, "send for the car."

"But, mistress," Yuki lowered her voice. "After you came home late last night, Jun-san was insistent that you are not let out today."

"What? Why?!"

The young maid was taken back. "Mistress, don't you remember? Nishikawa-sama is coming this afternoon."

"Nishi…" Juli murmured. "That's right."

"Mistress," another maid, Fiona, said as she approached. "Shin-san would like to discuss tonight's menu with you."

"Where's Eiko-san? Couldn't she do it?"

Both maids stared at her, startled. "Today is Wednesday, mistress," Yuki said. "Don't you remember that Eiko-san takes Wednesdays off to visit her family?"

"Oh, of course," Juli said, deflated. "Alright then."

She spent the entire morning in the kitchen nodding as Shin, the head cook, explained what she was preparing. Her head, however, was filled with thoughts of last night's events.

_Could it be Blue?_ she wondered. _I thought that I'd never see him again._

She remembered the last time she had seen him: in the doorway to the bridge, how she had pleaded for him to stay, but he had refocussed her on the task at hand with one sentence. _He's a true leader, Blue,_ she thought. _Much better than I ever could be._

Afternoon soon came around and Juli found herself in her bedroom, pulling on a simple red dress. She finished brushing her hair and walked across the room and out onto the balcony that overlooked the wide green lawns at the back of the mansion. She closed her eyes as a small breeze blew, playfully lifting her hair from her shoulders.

"Blue," she said softly, "I want to see him."

"Um, young mistress?"

Juli turned to find Yuki behind her, carefully avoiding her eyes. "Yes Yuki?" _Did she hear what I said?_

"Nishikawa-sama is here."

Juli descended down the winding staircase to the hall where Takeshi Nishikawa waited, his yellow hair gleaming in the bright light and his suit neatly pressed. He bowed. "Juli-san, it's very good to see you again."

Juli returned the bow. "Thankyou for joining me for dinner."

The two walked to the sitting room and took their places opposite each other on the expensive cream settees.

"I hear that you successfully closed many business deals lately, Juli-san."

"Yes."

"That is very impressive. You only had two years' preparation, yet you've come this far."

Juli shook her head. "No, it's not like that."

Nishikawa laughed. "Don't be so modest. I have been trained to take over my father's business my whole life and I haven't done as well on some transactions as you have. I really admire you, Juli-san."

Juli forced a smile. "Thankyou." She didn't think what she had done deserved admiration. All it had inspired in her was a feeling of self-contempt.

"Is it true that before all this you were a pilot trainee?"

She started as she stared into Nishikawa's blue eyes. She hadn't expected him to bring **that** up. "Y-yes, that's right," she replied.

"And you were involved in the Ryvius incident?"

Juli looked down at her hands as old emotions; excitement, fear, uncertainty and happiness, came flooding back. "I really…"

"What was it like?" She started as the young man leaned forward towards her excitedly. "What was it like in space?" he repeated. "I mean, I've travelled to other planets before, but only on business trips and the like. What was it like travelling with other people our age and then having complete control of a ship?"

Juli didn't know what to say. "I really don't…"

A knock on the door saved her from answering.

"Mistress, Nishikawa-sama," Yuki said as she entered the room. "I'm sorry for the interruption, but dinner is ready."

"Alright Yuki," Juli said, relieved, "thankyou. Nishikawa-san, do you mind?"

The young man straightened, looking more like the son of a wealthy businessman instead of the excited young man he had resembled earlier. "Not at all," he replied, offering her his arm.

Ryu joined the pair for dinner. Silence settled in the room as the servants refilled glasses and exchanged dishes for each course. Juli looked at Nishikawa, who was sitting at the other end of the table, observing how neatly he ate, like all well brought-up upper-class young men. _Eating like that was the least of our concerns on the Ryvius_, she thought. _He's so different from Blue._

"Juli?"

"What?"

"What are you doing trying to eat soup with a fork?"

Juli looked down at the fork in her hands stained orange with pumpkin soup. "Oh, heh, I wasn't concentrating."

Ryu began to laugh and, to everyone's surprise, Nishikawa joined in. "You're a funny woman, Juli-san," the blond man said.

"Isn't she? Look at her face!"

Juli stared at the two youths still surprised, but also annoyed. This was meant to be a stiff, boring dinner. Just how did things end up like this?

"I'm very glad that you invited me to dinner, Juli-san," Nishikawa said as he took his coat from a servant. "I enjoyed it very much."

"I'm glad too, Nishikawa-san," Juli said. She was still surprised at how normal and relaxed the young man had seemed after the fork incident, as if he had momentarily forgotten his formal upbringing and teachings.

"Please," the blond man took her hand, "we've known each other for months. I would be honored if you called me by my first name."

"Um," Juli was too startled to withdraw her hand from his grasp, "alright, Takeshi-san."

"Thankyou." The young man bowed before departing, leaving her standing in the hall.

_What was all that about?_ She thought as she slowly climbed up the stairs to her room. She remembered the excitement in his eyes as he asked her about the Ryvius in the sitting room,and also how he had laughed unguardedly in the dining room. _He might not be like the others after all._ The thought gave her some comfort. _I'm glad that not everyone in this part of the world is pretentious and arrogant._

"Hey, neesan," Ryu, who was waiting for her at the top of the stairs, said.

"What is it, Ryu?" Juli asked as she noted the seriousness in his eyes.

"I heard that you came back late yesterday and was messed up and everything. What happened?"

"Nothing. I just tripped and fell on the street that's all."

The brown-haired teenager stared hard at his sister before whirling around and walking towards his room. "Yeah, alright then."

Juli changed into a comfortable pair of pyjamas as soon as she got back to her room. It felt like Ryu hadn't believed her. And the look in his eyes before he had turned disturbed her. It seemed as though her lie had hurt him.

"Nah, why would it?" she said aloud and quickly dismissed the thought.

_Anyway, I know what I have to do. Tomorrow is the day. I have to look for him._

Juli curled up in her bed and hugged her knees to her chest, ignoring the throbbing pain she felt in her stomach. "I will," she whispered, "I will find him."

"I really don't think that this is a good idea, young mistress," Kobayashi said as he circled the street once again.

"Let me out," Juli said.

"Not until you promise that you will call me to pick you up and make it early."

"I'm sorry Kobayashi-san, I can't make a promise I might not be able to keep."

"Then I can't let you out, mistress. I have to ensure your safety first."

"Kobayashi," Juli folded her arms. "I'm ordering you as mistress of the house to let me out at once."

The driver paled. "But…"

Juli pounced as she sensed his weakening, "I won't say it again, Kobayashi." She hid a smile as the vehicle came to a stop and the doors unlocked. "Thankyou, I will call you as soon as I'm ready."

"Young mistress," Kobayashi turned to look at her. "Please stay out of trouble."

Juli smiled at him. "I'll try," she said before closing the car door and running down the street.

"Wait, mistress! What do you mean 'you'll try'?!"

Juli headed down the street, her blue jacket slipping off her shoulders as she ran. She ran past the coffee shop she had had lunch in two days ago until she finally reached the alley.

She stopped and leaned against the brick wall, panting. It was a bright morning and there were many people about on the street, but Juli still felt a small fear creep into her as she peered into the alleyway.

It didn't look as frightening in the daylight. It was dirty and there was an overturned garbage can on the ground, but aside from that, there was nobody there.

_What did you expect? _She thought as she walked back the way she had come. _That maybe he had left some kind of clue behind? You'll never be able to find him this way. No, don't think that way, I have to be optimistic_.__

"Where can I go next?" she wondered aloud. She stopped when she spotted a man rummaging through a rubbish bin on the sidewalk. He was a large, unshaven man and was wearing a beanie and a dirty old coat. She frowned. He looked kind of familiar. When her eyes slid down to the bandaged hand gripping the side of the bin she gasped.

_It… it had to be him._

Taking a deep breath, she approached the man, fists clenched at her sides. "Hey you!" she said.

The man turned to look at her and his eyes widened. She expected him to run away or try to attack her again, but that was not what he did. Instead, he fell backwards, his eyes wild. For the first time, Juli noticed the bruises on his face and his broken nose. "What –" she began.

"Stay away, stay away!" the man babbled. "I promise not to do it again!"

Despite the events of the night before, Juli felt a twinge of sympathy for the man. "Hey," she said, "I just want to talk to you."

"No, I can't! He'll kill me!"

"Who?" Juli said sharply. "Who will kill you? Is it Blue?"

"Bl-blue," the man nodded. "He had hair as blue as the ocean."

Juli felt hope rising within her. "Please, mister," she said gently. "Tell me where I can find him and I promise that I'll leave right away."

"You promise?"

Juli frowned, wondering what had happened to reduce the rough man who had attacked her into a frightened wreck. "Yes, I promise."

"The abandoned warehouse on Hunpo Street. Now leave me alone!"

Juli ran down the street towards the t-intersection. _Hunpo__ Street, that's not far from here. Finally…_

Her heart lightened as she ran. Each step she was getting closer, closer to him.

_Finally, I can see him._


	3. NOTE

Hey guys, yes, I know that this isn't a chapter and I'm really sorry if you're disappointed. This is just to let you know that I'm not going to be able to update for a while – at least not until December. I'm sorry, but I'm really busy at the moment.

If you want, feel free to email me and I will be more than happy to inform you when I post the next chapter up. Gomen, gomen.

But hey, until then, you can dwell on this little piece of info:

Next chapter the long-awaited reunion… and loads of Blue!


End file.
